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RBI ombudsman received 6k complaints this FY, max of apps, recovery agents: Govt in Rajya Sabha
The banking ombudsman, appointed to address customer complaints related to banking services, operates under the grounds specified in the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006
The Reserve Bank of India ombudsman in Chandigarh received more than 6,000 complaints in the current financial year, primarily related to bank fraud cases.
A majority of these complaints were directed towards digital apps and recovery agents. Other grievances include non-payment or delayed payment of cheques, drafts, bills, non-acceptance of small denomination notes, charging commission, non-issuance of drafts to customers and non-adherence to prescribed working hours by the branches.
The banking ombudsman, appointed to address customer complaints related to banking services, operates under the grounds specified in the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, minister of state for finance Bhagwat Karad said that in 2023-24, 6,280 complaints were received, with 46 of them pending for disposal.
He added that all the complaints received in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 have been resolved.
Karad added informed that 36,619 complaints were received in 2020-21, 20,700 in 2021-22, and 11,177 in 2022-23. The RBI ombudsman’s office in Chandigarh handles complaints from Punjab, Himachal, Chandigarh and Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts of Haryana.
The minister said that complaints received are categorised as maintainable or non-maintainable, according to the norms of RB-IOS, 2021. Maintainable complaints are resolved through mutual settlement, passing awards or rejection, while non-maintainable complaints, including those not under the ambit of RB-IOS, 2021, are closed with communication to the complainant.
The RB-IOS, 2021, is a scheme designed to resolve customer grievances related to “deficiency in services” provided by entities regulated by the RBI in an expeditious and cost-free manner.
In 2022-23, the consumer education and protection department (CEPD) of RBI conducted a satisfaction survey for customers who approached the ombudsman for redressal of grievances.
Approximately 60% of respondents were satisfied with the overall resolution provided by the RBI Ombudsmen, and 58.7% mentioned that the waiting time/attempts to reach a contact centre executive were reasonable. The survey also revealed that 60.1% of respondents were satisfied with the overall process, including registration, handling of complaints and resolution time.
Notably, a separate office of Reserve Bank Ombudsman at Shimla commenced operations on April 1, 2023.
